Madison College recognized its student leaders at the annual Celebration of Student Success Banquet held in the Redsten Gymnasium on April 20.

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Karen Roberts Leadership Award winners were, from left, front row: Ana Rodriguez, Elliott Puckette; back row: Meshan Adams, Sedgwick Smith Jr. and Omar Jobe.

The event, organized and presided over by the Executive Leadership Team, honored and celebrated the accomplishments of outstanding student leaders, clubs and organizations at the college.

Five students received the Karen Roberts Student Life Leadership Award: Meshan Adams, Omar Jobe, Elliott Puckette, Anna Rodriguez and Sedgwick Smith Jr. The award recognizes students who have served in a variety of significant leadership roles on and off campus during their college careers.

Adams is a representative on the college’s Student Senate and participates as a member of United Common Ground and works at the college’s Student Achivement Center.

Jobe has been an officer for the college’s Executive Leadership Team for the past two years, serving as president this year. He is also an officer and past president of the African Student Association and a member of the Student Life Involvement Team, the World Student Association and the Volunteer Center’s Service Learning Academy.

Puckette is the current editor-in-chief of The Clarion and an active member and officer for the college’s Performing Arts Leadership Team. With the newspaper, she has helped lead a team that won 11 state awards, nine regional awards and five national awards. With the performing arts, she has been both actor and director in shows this year.

Rodriguez serves on the Volunteer Center board of directors as the Recruitment and Communications Coordinator. She was co-chair of the Santa’s Wish List Program, is a leader in the college’s Service Learning Academy and serves as a Madison College Student Ambassador.

Smith holds multiple leadership roles at the college. He is president of the Black Student Union, Managing Editor of The Clarion and a student support assistant in Student Life. This past year, he won multiple awards for his writing including a first-place regional award for opinion writing.

The outstanding club of the year was the Native American Student Association. In addition to organizing its annual pow wow in April, the club held an educational program titled, “The Power of Native American Women,” featuring six panelists from as far away as North Dakota. The club also launched the Wilma Thompson Memorial Scholarship, a $500 award created to honor a Ho-Chunk elder who served the college community for many years.

The outstanding student organization of the year was the Volunteer Center, which greatly expanded its Service Learning Academy this year. The academy is a semester-long program that pairs students with a community non-profit organization to volunteer for eight to 10 weeks. Earlier this year, the group earned national recognition as the Action Program of the Year at the 2017 IMPACT National Conference.

Other award winners at the college’s Celebration of Student Success included:

• Outstanding Tutors – Marcia Pina and Zhikang Meng
• Outstanding Student Employees – Taylor Genthe, Stephanie Lang and Jennifer Novey
• Outstanding Student Group, Academic Achievement – Student Ambassadors
• Outstanding Student Group, Community Service – Executive Leadership Team
• Outstanding Club Advisor – Craig Lathrop
• Terry Webb Shared Governance Leadership Award – Ann Camillo, Alex Hipler, Mike Kent and Simle
• Distinguished Teachers of the Year –
  • Michael Redding, a full-time instructor in the nursing program;
  • Rebecca Anderson, a part-time instructor in the accounting and finance program
• Student Diversity Award – Meshan Adams and Sedgwick Smith Jr.
• Exemplary Learner, Academic Advancement – Taofigat Sennuga and Anthony Soriano
• Exemplary Learner, Applied Science, Engineering and Technology – Claire Hilgendorf and Theadore Tzougros
• Exemplary Learner, Arts and Sciences – Kristen Emery
• Exemplary Learner, Business and Applied Arts – Paul Crump and Mauel Turrubiartes
• Exemplary Learner, Health Education – Kate Gutkowski and Elizabeth Rideout
• Exemplary Learner, Human and Protective Services – Ditra Comer and Erin Statz
• Ambassadors of Distinction – Brittany Checki, Jennifer Cooper, Dominique Diamante, Julisa Diaz-Perez and Nicole Wier.